Coolie women have the double burden of being poor and underpaid
agricultural labourers on the one hand, and women in a sexist, male dominated
society on the other. Single mothers — young widows and those who have been
deserted by their husbands — have the added burden of raising young
children.

The Coolie Sangha has, through its policy of positive discrimination in
favour of women, used various instruments to strengthen the position of Coolie
women. Though a lot has been achieved at the sociopolitical and cultural
level, there still is a lot that needs to be done at the individual, economic
front for those who feel stranded.

The chief instrument that the Coolie Sangha has been able to establish in
favour of landless female headed households are village level Mahila Meetings.
These are genuinely independent, democratic and gender specific platforms for
selfdetermination. The greatest achievement of the Mahila Meetings is that
they have been able to instil a gender sensitivity into the Coolie Sangha as a
whole.

This needs to now be supported with a financial wherewithal that is not
just token or symbolic.